Some embodiments described herein relate generally to enterprise networks, and, in particular, to methods and apparatus for efficiently using links in a scalable enterprise network architecture.
In some known enterprise networks, certain control traffic including DHCP requests, ARP requests, etc., is broadcast or flooded throughout an enterprise network such that various types of control information can be obtained for user devices. These broadcast and/or flood mechanisms, however, result in a scaling limitation to the enterprise network because as the enterprise network grows, such broadcast and/or flooded traffic consumes a significant fraction of the overall network capacity. This consumption often makes the enterprise network inefficient for transmitting data traffic.
Moreover, in some known enterprise networks, redundant links between nodes are not used. Such known enterprise networks do not use redundant links to avoid an unending loop within the network. Use of redundant links, however, can be beneficial to the performance of enterprise networks.
Accordingly, a need exists for an enterprise network architecture that can eliminate or reduce broadcast and/or flooded traffic and efficiently use links within the enterprise network.